Free His Apprentice (Billionaire Cowboys) by Mia De Rossi Page A

Vanderbilt. Mr. Hamilton
waved off the man in black, who receded carefully into the shadows, closing the
study door behind him.
     “Um,
yes, sir,” Avery replied, smoothing back his brown hair self-consciously, wondering
what the dude’s deal was. Why was he looking at him that way?
    Daniel
Hamilton stepped closer, and Avery got a whiff of expensive cologne and even
more expensive alcohol. The man was surveying Avery’s face as if it was the
most interesting thing he’d ever seen. “You’re very...” Mr. Hamilton appeared to
search for the right word. Avery could see the moment he had it, and the moment
he pushed it back in favor of another adjective. “...young,” he finished.
    Avery’s
brow furrowed. Hadn’t the man been told the apprenticeship was for
undergraduates from Vanderbilt? “I’m twenty-one, Mr. Hamilton,” he said
carefully.
    “Call
me Daniel,” the businessman insisted, that smirk still on his face. “Do you
like whiskey?”
    Avery’s
head spun. Huh? Had the guy just asked him if he liked whiskey? “I’m—pardon
me?”
    But
Mr. Hamilton—Daniel—was already walking away from him to a little bar in the
corner of the office. He poured another highball glass of golden liquid and
turned around. “Here,” he said, giving Avery the new one. “Come sit down and
tell me a bit about yourself.”
    Avery
followed, more and more confused by the minute. Did Daniel think he was someone
else? Did he not realize Avery was his lowly apprentice? What the hell was
going on?
    When
Daniel gestured to the chair across from him, Avery sat, clutching his glass of
whiskey to him like a baby clutching a security blanket.
    Daniel
laughed, throwing his head back, exposing his throat. Avery swallowed at the
deep shadow of stubble there, at the Adam’s apple that bobbed with the motion. Wow. The man was beautiful enough to be a model, even if he seemed a little crazy.
    “You
look worried,” Daniel said, his eyes crinkling with warmth. “Don’t be.” He
raised his glass. “Have a drink.”
    But
Avery only clutched his drink tighter, his fingers trembling. He had to be
clear about what was going on. If Daniel had mistaken him for someone
else—someone important, like a client—he could only imagine what hell there
would be to pay later. “Mr. Hamilton—”
    At
the other man’s warning look, he quickly amended it to: “Daniel. Um, I’m—I’m
here to be your apprentice. From Vanderbilt University?”
    “I
know that,” Daniel said, still smiling like he was in on a joke that Avery
wasn’t in on. “I’m confusing you, aren’t I?”
    Avery
smiled hesitantly. “A little.”
    Daniel
drained his glass and set it down, his eyes bright and glassy. “I’m just so
glad to see someone...I can relate to. You know, Avery, when I started Hamilton
Inc. four years ago, I was your age.” He threw his head back and guffawed
again. “I know, I know. I sound like a fucking grandpa. The longer I’ve been running
the business, the older I feel. And people...they all just treat me like I’m this
untouchable, inhuman...” Daniel trailed off his disconnected diatribe and looked
at Avery, taking his cowboy hat off to push a hand through his shorn blonde
hair. “Anyway. It’s nice to see you. To see someone who reminds me of me in a
way. Plus, you’re easy on the eyes.”
    There
was a startled silence as Avery stared at Daniel. Wait, what? Had the man just
said he was easy on the eyes ?
    Daniel
laughed and held his hands up. “Yep, I’m gay. I know they tend to leave that
one out of the papers.”
    Avery
sat there, not able to think clearly. So, Daniel was gay. And he thought Avery
was...easy on the eyes. Sure, the guy was as scrumptious as any dude on the cover
of GQ. Sure, just the sound of his throaty laugh made Avery’s cock twitch and
moan about wanting to come to attention. But still, this was Daniel Hamilton.
THE Daniel Hamilton. There was no way Avery was going to fuck this up.
    Avery
leaned forward